Birmingham News products and services

The prize-winning Birmingham News Co. advertising department offers advertisers many ways to market and deliver their message to audiences.

The 72 salespeople use a selection of products and services to sell more than 1.6 million ads in a year. Here is look at some of those products and services:

Agency design: AdGroup offers the capabilities of an advertising agency, with an award-winning design team that turns an advertiser's ideas into effective advertising. Most AdGroup services are provided without charge.

Cahaba Talk: This lifestyle magazine covers the communities of Trussville, Clay-Chalkville, Argo and Springville. It is mailed to every household in the communities.

Classifieds: Classified ads are published daily in The Birmingham News and appear online at al.com. The classifieds are Alabama's largest marketplace for people in the Birmingham-metro area. Two of the Sunday sections, Jobs and the Real Estate guide, also are distributed free in the community. Periodically, special sections are published such as New Homes, a close look at new construction in and around Birmingham, and Wheels, an in-depth automotive section.

The classified department is also responsible for Celebrations (births, engagement announcements, wedding announcements and anniversaries) and obituaries.

Big Auto Book, a free publication on used cars, is also published by the classified department

Co-op advertising: The advertising sales department will help retailers utilize co-op advertising dollars by identifying the dollars through store audits, helping with layout design, and placement with billing to the manufacturers.

Custom publishing: The Birmingham News Co. can custom-publish books, catalogs, brochures, newsletters, magazines, programs, posters, tickets, preprinted material for insertion into the newspaper and more. Custom publishing can be used for small and large special publications.

Extra: Extra is a Birmingham News product that delivers display and classified advertising and inserts by mail every Wednesday to nonsubscribers in specified ZIP codes in Jefferson, Shelby, Walker and St. Clair counties. There is no charge to recipients.

Illustration: Artists create custom artwork for advertisers.

Market research: The company provides market research, compiled by Scarborough, Belden and MapInfo, free to advertisers and community groups.

Media placement: A team of account executives, sales assistants and coordinators develops and places advertising for maximum impact.

Neighborhood Weekly: The Neighborhood Weekly publications are community sections delivered every Wednesday to areas of north Shelby County, in the newspaper and by mail to nonsubscribers. This gives small businesses that rely on surrounding residents a product delivered to their primary audience.

Photography: A professional photographer is available to take pictures to be used in advertising.

Prepress imaging: Advertisers who want to create their own ads can deliver them electronically. Imaging experts in the advertising department will make sure the ads are executed properly.

Preprint and delivery program: This program is designed to reach a specific audience. Prices include design, layout, printing and distribution. Distribution is available to both subscribers and nonsubscribers in Jefferson, Shelby, Walker and St. Clair counties.

Targeted sections: These advertising sections are focused on a subject of interest to specific communities and to targeted demographic groups. Advertisers can choose the sections that best relate to their business or service.